Packaging machinery in the first quarter: turnover up, orders down

In the first quarter of 2026, the Italian packaging machinery sector recorded a 2% increase in turnover compared with the same period in 2025, driven mainly by the domestic market, while the export component remained weak. This is according to Ucima’s quarterly business survey for March and for the first quarter of the current year.

In the January-March 2026 period, the growth in overall turnover reflected a 15.2% rise in sales on the domestic market, set against a slight 0.2% decline in exports. Order intake moved in the opposite direction, remaining in negative territory and beginning to cause concern among operators in the Made-in-Italy packaging industry: in the first quarter of 2026, it recorded an overall decrease of 5.8%, due mainly to the contraction in foreign demand (-6.8%), while domestic orders increased by 3.9%. The months of production secured remained at normal levels, stable at 7.7 months, in line with the previous quarter.

However, the figures for March 2026 point to a more critical trend in terms of orders. Overall order intake fell by 9.3% compared with March 2025, with diverging trends across markets: positive on the domestic market (+18.2%) and negative on foreign markets (-12.6%). From a sectoral standpoint, the best results in March were concentrated in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical segments, while beverages, cosmetics and other industrial sectors proved less dynamic.

Despite the slowdown in foreign orders recorded in the opening months of the year, the sector continues to demonstrate a solid capacity for resilience. Operators’ expectations for the second quarter of 2026 point to an overall stable scenario, with signs of growth expected on both the domestic and international markets.